Saturday, December 8, 2012

Shelving: Oddly Normal by John Schwartz

I yearn for a day when coming out stories don't have to be fraught with so much anguish. Unfortunately, someone can be blessed with understanding parents, schools willing to take a tough stand on bullying, and the knowledge that things "will get better," and still face depression, anxiety, and all too frequently, suicide attempts, which is what happened to John Schwartz's son.

I spent the better part of the Thanksgiving weekend reading Schwart's book Oddly Normal, and the thing that struck me, though did not surprise me, is how little has actually changed, and how even the best intentions can't protect a child from bullying and homophobia.

(Full disclosure: I am not a parent, so I can only judge childhood narratives by comparing them to my own experience, which was more than twenty-years ago. Bullying -- for any reason -- was generally seen as a misdemeanor, and only when it escalated into something physical was punishment warranted. That someone can be suspended for verbal abuse is a huge step from when I was a kid.)

I think this is a good book for parents, as there is no real "guide" for someone with an LGBT kid. I generally prefer to read coming out stories written by the person doing the coming out, but there's real value in those stories told from the point of view of loved ones, too.

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